Winter Kennels will bring a Rattlesnake, Cottonmouth Water Moccasin, & a Copperhead snake.
Please call or email Jodi by March 15 to RSVP
at 512-744-4644 or jjohnson@hotvsc.com

If you have been through the training, a refresher course is complimentary. Please RSVP by March 15.
You and your dog could encounter venomous snakes almost anywhere in the course of your daily routine. The veterinarians at Heart of Texas frequently treat dogs that have been bitten in the yard, at the local park, on a hiking trail, or out at a ranch.

Bites from rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins cause severe pain, tissue damage, infection, and can be fatal. Envenomation can require administration of antivenom and transfusion with blood or plasma. The cost of life-saving care for a severe bite can be $2000-$4000, or more if complications develop.
Snake aversion training sessions are designed to protect you from these unexpected expenses and could save the life of your dog. Your dog’s reaction to detecting a rattlesnake could also signal you and your family to avoid the snake. Unlike humans, who recognize the distinctive sound of a rattle as a sign of danger, dogs are naturally curious. Their response to a new sound or smell is to investigate with their nose, resulting often in a bite to the face or legs. The avoidance behavior is taught with negative reinforcement using a remotely controlled collar on the dog. When the dog has identified the live snake, an unpleasant stimulation is applied via the collar. This trains the dog to identify the snakes by sight, smell, and sound. After the training they associate these cues with a negative sensation, resulting in avoidance of snakes they encounter in the future. The snakes used in the training have had their venom glands severed for safety.
At the Heart of Texas, we treat dogs with snakebites several times a week. In 2014 we saw over 100 snake bites. Our hope is that by hosting this training session, we can prevent this painful and expensive experience for as many dogs as possible. Although the rattlesnake vaccination may lessen the immediate effects of envenomation, it does not prevent the need for hospitalization and treatment with antivenom.
Please join us in protecting your dog and your family from a snakebite!